7 tips for selling your home during the holidays

Decorations, baked goods and parcels during the holiday season can present challenges for sellers. The general rule is that less is more — while a few tasteful ornaments can accent a home at this time of year, going overboard can hurt interest in your home. Here are tips to help homes look their best during open houses this season:

1. Exterior holiday lights can brighten up any house and increase curb appeal. However, keep the less is more motto in mind and use sparingly.

2. Place frost-resistant potted plants such as flowering kale or miniature trees in the walkway and garden to give buyers a sense of warmer weather potential.

3. Snow can look beautiful on the trees, but driveways and walkways should be cleared. Don’t forget to clear the backyard terrace and walkways around the house.

4. A warm home is always more inviting than one that has you reaching for your coat. Be sure to have the heat set to a warm temperature for the entire day and not just before your open house.

5. While scents in the kitchen create an inviting and festive atmosphere, what might smell delicious to you might be off-putting to others. Try to keep fragrances to a minimum.

6. Display several photos of yards, gardens and patios during spring and summer to show potential buyers what the house looks like at these times of the year.

7. Choose a smaller Christmas tree and dress it with minimal decorations. Avoid busy decorations, which will make the space look smaller and messy.